iPhone 8 Might Not Have Key Feature at Launch

Wireless charging could come late, but a separate leak suggests the iPhone 8 will certainly be colorful.

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Apple's iPhone 8 will come with wireless charging — it just might not be available at launch.

(Image credit: Benjamin Geskin)

The tech giant could be planning to make inductive charging, better known as wireless charging, available to new iPhone buyers after its handsets launch this year, Apple pundit John Gruber said on Twitter over the weekend. He said that while the iPhone will come with support for wireless charging, Apple will sell wireless charging accessories separately and won't turn on the feature until iOS 11.1.

While many of its top competitors have been offering wireless charging for years, Apple's been slow to make the move. Instead, customers are forced to tether the handset to the wall with a bundled charging unit or opt for a clunky third-party wireless charging case.

For his part, Gruber didn't say exactly when the wireless charging feature might be made available. Apple hasn't announced wireless charging support in its upcoming iPhones and has only said that iOS 11 will ship in the fall. It's unclear, then, when iOS 11.1 might be made available.

A New Color

Although Apple might disappoint folks on the wireless charging front, the company could have a trick up its sleeve on the iPhone 8's design.

A separate tweet from serial leaker Benjamin Geskin over the weekend says Apple is planning four color options for the iPhone 8. And one of those, Geskin said, will have a "mirror-like" finish.

If true, it would be the first iPhone to come with the mirror-like design. And Geskin published a rendering to go with his tweet, which would certainly add a new wrinkle to smartphone design concepts.

The rendering shows the backplate of an iPhone featuring that mirror finish. It's unknown what material Apple might use to get that mirror-like effect.

Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 8 at a press event in September. The device will likely ship sometime in the fall.